During the strategy phase, we’re mostly operating from a business angle. There are many problems to solve that an organisation can go after, but only a few make sense and can be funded.
Why would you need designers at that stage, you may ask?
Because designers help visualise a future state, driving common understanding by using the view of the customer. This drives alignment between stakeholders, using visual concepts and storytelling.
To get the teams going and make informed decisions you’ll need the intent: why does the organisation exist? What is its purpose? It’s often captured in the value proposition or the company’s mission. A clear, easy to understand and relatable intent will go a long way. Each word is carefully picked. It is a powerful tool to sense check if an opportunity is within of the organisation’s remit.
Ex.
Tesla: Accelerating the World's Transition to Sustainable Energy
Nestle: Unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come.
Médecins du Monde: Going beyond care to uphold the dignity of each individual.
As human experience designers, our role is to find and surface unmet needs that will become business opportunities. Unmet needs come from customers, users, employees, or the wider ecosystem. Tesla, for example, realised that transition to e-mobility was hindered by the access to a reliable, easy to use charging infrastructure.
At this stage we decide which opportunity is most relevant to develop based on the intent. What strengths and assets of the organisation can be leveraged to best realise the opportunity? How would this manifest in a few years timeframe?
When strategising, the power of a designer is to give life to a possible future that doesn’t exist yet. We want stakeholders to visualise the art of the possible, get inspired, and confident they are making the right decision.
Next: The Discovery Diamond